37 weeks!

pardon the awkward pose...:)

So here is an update of Baby Kaden:

Every week I spend countless hours at the hospital so they can measure him via ultrasound and a stress test. I also get tested for contractions. This past week we also met with our Cardiologist, High-Risk Ob Gyn, Neonatalogist, and our NICU nurse. That is a lot of appointments! I swear I'm there every day but it is such a blessing we live so close! There is a shuttle that comes every hour to and from the medical center to our apartment complex. The convenience is incredibly nice. The hardest thing was when our nurse showed us the NICU where are baby will be rushed off to immediately after he is born. Seeing all those babies hooked up to tubes was really hard. I broke down right then and there, I had never felt so overwhelmed with sadness and fear. It is good that I know what to expect, but it is so hard looking at those sick babies and knowing that in just a few weeks my son will be right along with them.

The past three weeks I've been showing signs of pretty intense contractions. At first it scared me but then the doctor said I just have some uterine irritability...doesn't mean the baby is coming right then. Also, during the growth ultrasound they measure baby's head, stomach, length of major bones, etc. This week our sweet Kaden is estimated to weigh 6.5 pounds already! Jeez! All the doctors and nurses are pleased that he has grown so well....but I really hope I don't give birth to a 9 pounder!!! The one concerning thing is that my uterus has consistently measured smaller than normal...I guess he is just really squished in there!

This weekend Ben flew home to Oregon for his brother Tyson's wedding. It was a beautiful event with our whole family there. Needless to say I have never ever felt more left out in my life. I even begged my Dr. to let me go...she said absolutely not. Not only for the sake of the Kaden's emergency care right after birth, but because I was having contractions so often. It was very possible that I could go into labor. I understood and the last thing I wanted was to put myself and Kaden at risk, but Man! I was so bummed I couldn't go!!!

The biggest blessing and answer to prayer was that Kaden didn't come while Ben was gone and now HE IS HOME AND DONE WITH SCHOOL!!! Ben hasn't had time off from school in so long that it feels like a second honeymoon.

We have so many plans and a huge bucket list of things to do...so maybe Kaden can keep cooking for a  little bit longer.

I'm going to be induced July 8th if Kaden hasn't come yet but we kinda want a July 4th baby. How cool would it be to have fireworks every night of his birthday for the rest of his life???!!! We will always tell him the fireworks are to celebrate him:)

Ben jokes that if he does come on the 4th we will have to change his name to Freedom...haha